Device to Cuff Rolled Shirt Sleeve

ABSTRACT

A cuffing device including a button hole interfacing section, a cord attached at both ends to the button hole interfacing section, defining a loop, and a cinching device attached to the cord and configured to change a size of the loop by translating along a length of the cord.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/539,245 filed on Jul. 31, 2017 and titled Device to Cuff Rolled Shirt Sleeve, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to devices for cuffing a rolled shirt sleeve.

BACKGROUND

Traditional devices for cuffing shirt sleeves have been directed towards forming the cuff when the sleeve is fully extended. However, many choose to roll their shirt sleeves up, thereby exposing the forearm of the wearer, for a variety of reasons. Such wearers have had to rely on the skill with which the sleeve has been rolled to maintain the rolled sleeve, something that can be unreliable depending on the material the shirt is made from. Additionally, such rolled sleeves may inhibit the use of standard cuffing devices, which are not adapted to such use, thereby eliminating the aesthetic use of such devices. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a device that facilitates cuffing of rolled shirt sleeves in order to maintain the rolling of the shirt sleeve and to provide the aesthetic opportunity provided by traditional shirt cuffing devices.

This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the above in mind, embodiments of the present invention are related to a cuffing device comprising a button hole interfacing section, a cord attached at both ends to the button hole interfacing section, defining a loop, and a cinching device attached to the cord and configured to change a size of the loop by translating along a length of the cord.

In some embodiments, the button hole interfacing section may comprise a cord connecting apparatus configured to attach to the cord, a head connecting apparatus configured to attach to the cord connecting apparatus, and a head attached to the head connecting apparatus. Attachment between the head connecting apparatus and the head permits movement of the head. The head may be configured to have a geometry that permits it to pass through a button hole in a first orientation and interface with a shirt cuff defining the button hole in a second orientation. The head may be detachably attached to the head connecting apparatus. The head connecting apparatus may be configured to be removably attached to the cord connecting apparatus. Furthermore, the cord connecting apparatus may comprise a first magnet and the head connecting apparatus may comprise a second magnet configured to be magnetically attracted to and removably attachable to the first magnet. Alternatively, the head connecting apparatus may comprise a connecting structure and the cord connecting apparatus may comprise a lobster clasp configured to removably attach to the connecting structure of the head connecting apparatus. The button hole interfacing section may further comprise a retaining disk configured to be positionable on a side of a shirt cuff opposite the head and having a diameter configured to deter the retaining disk from passing through a button hole of the shirt cuff.

In some embodiments, the cinching device may comprise a base section and a bridge section configured extend around the cord and attach to the base section on opposing sides of the cord, such that a portion of the cord is positioned within a space bounded by the base section and the bridge section.

In some embodiments, the cord may be configured to have a length sufficient to permit the loop to be temporarily sized to facilitate a button of a shirt to pass therethrough and a diameter configured to permit the loop to be positioned between the button and a cuff of the shirt. The length of the cord may be within a range from one inch to two inches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of a cuffing device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a lower perspective view of the cuffing device of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3-5 are perspective views of the cuffing device of FIG. 1 employed on a rolled shirt sleeve.

FIG. 6 is a lower perspective view of a cuffing device according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a head of a cuffing device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the head of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a button hole interfacing section of a cuffing device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a cuffing device according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Those of ordinary skill in the art realize that the following descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention are illustrative and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Other embodiments of the present invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following embodiments of the invention are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the invention.

In this detailed description of the present invention, a person skilled in the art should note that directional terms, such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” and other like terms are used for the convenience of the reader in reference to the drawings. Also, a person skilled in the art should notice this description may contain other terminology to convey position, orientation, and direction without departing from the principles of the present invention.

Furthermore, in this detailed description, a person skilled in the art should note that quantitative qualifying terms such as “generally,” “substantially,” “mostly,” and other terms are used, in general, to mean that the referred to object, characteristic, or quality constitutes a majority of the subject of the reference. The meaning of any of these terms is dependent upon the context within which it is used, and the meaning may be expressly modified.

An embodiment of the invention, as shown and described by the various figures and accompanying text, provides a cuffing device operable to facilitate the formation of a cuff in a shirt sleeve that has been rolled up. The cuffing device may prevent a rolled-up portion of the shirt sleeve from splaying outward from a longitudinal center of the sleeve. Additionally, the cuffing device may prevent the unintended unrolling of the shirt sleeve. Furthermore, the cuffing device may be configured to display cosmetic features.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-2, a cuffing device 100 according to an embodiment of the invention is presented. The cuffing device 100 may comprise a length of cord 110, a cinching device 120, and a button hole interfacing section 130. The cord 110 may be attached to the button hole interfacing section 130 at each end and form a loop 112.

In some embodiments, the cord 110 may be formed of a material having elastic properties, namely, being configured to elastically stretch along a longitudinal axis to facilitate use of the cuffing device 100 and to exert tension on a shirt sleeve in use without constricting any body part of a wearer of the shirt. The material forming the cord 110 may be selected to have a characteristic of elasticity, such as Young's modulus, to exhibit the desired behavior detailed above in use. In another embodiment, the cord 110 may be formed from a plant-based material, such as cotton, bamboo, and other natural fibers, or leather.

The cinching device 120 may be attached to the length of cord 110 so as to define the size of the loop 112. This may be accomplished by any means or method as is known in the art. In the present embodiment, the cinching device 120 may be configured to slide along the length of the cord 110, effectively dividing the cord 110 between the loop 112 and the portion of the cord 110 not forming part of the loop 112.

The cord 110 may have a length L. The length L may be configured to facilitate use of the cuffing device 100 by being a magnitude that accommodates anticipated arm sizes of wearers of shirts. Length L may be within the range from 1 inch to three inches. In the present embodiment, length L is 2 inches.

In the present embodiment, the cinching device 120 may comprise a base section 122 and a bridge section 124. The base section 122 may be positioned on one side of the cord 110. The bridge section 124 may be configured to extend over the cord 110 and attach to the base section 122 on either side of the cord 110, thereby loosely constraining the cord 110 between the base section 122 and the bridge section 124 such that the cinching device 120 may be slid along the length of the cord 110. While in the present embodiment the bridge section 124 has a generally rectangular configuration, all geometric configurations are contemplated and included within the scope of the invention, including, but not limited to, arched configurations.

The button hole interfacing section 130 may comprise a cord connecting apparatus 132, a head connecting apparatus 134, and a head 136. The cord connecting apparatus 132 may be configured to attach the button hole interfacing section 130 to the cord 110. In the present embodiment, the cord connecting apparatus 132 may interface with the cord 110 so as to fixedly attach at least a portion of the button hole interfacing section 130 to the cord 110. Such an interface may be accomplished employing any means or method known in the art, including, but not limited to, crimping, clamping, fusing, adhesives, shrink-fitting/wrapping, and the like.

The head connecting apparatus 134 may be configured to secure the head 136 to the cord connecting apparatus 132. In some embodiments, the head connecting apparatus 134 may be attached to the cord connecting apparatus 132. In some embodiments, the head connecting apparatus 134 may be integrally formed with the cord connecting apparatus 132. The head connecting apparatus 134 may be configured to attach to the head according to any means or method known in the art, including, but not limited to, interconnecting hooks, magnets, and the like. In some embodiments, the attachment between the head connecting apparatus 134 and the head 136 may permit a limited amount of movement therebetween to facilitate the positioning of the head 136 through a button hole of a shirt sleeve worn by the user. Specifically, the attachment may enable the head 136 to be positioned in a first orientation to permit the head 136 to pass through a button hole of a shirt and in a second orientation to interface with a shirt cuff defining the button hole, preventing the head 136 from passing back through the button hole. In some embodiments, the attachment between the head connecting apparatus 134 and the head 136 may be detachable, permitting the interchanging of various heads with a single cuffing device 100.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, a cuffing device 300 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown employed on a rolled shirt sleeve 350 of a user. The cuffing device 300 may be positioned such that a portion thereof is positioned through a button hole 352 of the shirt sleeve 350. A cinching device 320 of the cuffing device 300 may slide along a length of a length of cord 310 to define a loop 312. The loop 312 may be expanded to permit a button 354 of the shirt sleeve 350 to pass therethrough. The loop 312 may subsequently be contracted to have a diameter that is less than a diameter of the button 354, thereby attaching the length of cord 310, and thereby the cuffing device 300, to the button 354. Additionally, the thickness of the cord 310 may enable the cord to be positioned generally behind the button and between the button and the shirt sleeve 350. A head 330 of the cuffing device 300 may have a geometry that generally precludes or inhibits its passing through the button hole 352 thereby establishing a second attachment point between the cuffing device 300 and the shirt sleeve 350. The attachment of the head 330 and the length of cord 310 to the shirt sleeve 350 may generally constrain the shirt sleeve 350 from extending outward, resulting in a more desirable, tailored appearance of the rolled shirt sleeve 350.

Referring now to FIG. 6, an embodiment of the present invention is presenter. The cuffing device 600 of the present invention is substantially similar to the cuffing device 100 of FIGS. 1-3. In the present embodiment, the cuffing device 600 comprises a button hole interfacing section 630 comprising a head connecting apparatus 364 comprising a pair of magnets 635. The pair of magnets 635 may be configured to be attracted to each other so as to establish a detachable attachment therebetween. The pair of magnets 635 may facilitate the detachment and interchanging of a head 636 as discussed hereinabove.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, a head 700 according to an embodiment of the invention is presented. The head 700 may have a first surface 702 and a second surface 704. The first surface 702 may be intended to face outward from a sleeve when cuffing the sleeve. In the present embodiment, the first surface 702 is textured. Such texturing may provide aesthetic value to the head 700 and may also facilitate manipulation by the user by increasing friction between the head 700 and the fingers of the user. The second surface 704 may be intended to face inward from the sleeve and may similarly be textured. The texturing may be the same as the texture of the first surface 702, or it may differ. Furthermore, the head 700 may comprise an attachment structure 706. The attachment structure 706 may project outward from the second surface 704 and may be configured to facilitate the attachment of the head 700 to a cuffing device as described hereinabove. In some embodiments, the attachment structure 706 may be generally arched having an opening of approximately 2.2 millimeters (mm) and a thickness of approximately 1 mm.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a button hole interfacing section 900 according to an embodiment of the invention is presented. The button hole interfacing section may comprise a cord connecting structure 902, a head connecting apparatus 904, and a head 906 similar to analogous structures described hereinabove and shown in FIGS. 1-8. The button hole interfacing section 900 may further comprise a retaining disk 908. The retaining disk 908 may be configured to be positioned on a side of a shirt sleeve opposite the head 906. In some embodiments, the retaining disk 908 may have a width and/or diameter that is sufficient to prevent the retaining disk 908 from passing through a button hole of the shirt sleeve. While in the present embodiment the retaining disk 908 has a generally circular geometry, any shape is contemplated and included within the scope of the invention. Moreover, the retaining disk 908 may have a thickness of about 0.75 mm.

Referring now to FIG. 10, a cuffing device 1000 according to an embodiment of the invention is presented. The cuffing device 1000 may be substantially similar to the cuffing device 100 of FIGS. 1-2, comprising a cord 1010, a cinching device 1020, and a button hole interfacing section 1030. The button hole interfacing section 1030 may comprise a cord connecting apparatus 1032, a head connecting apparatus 1034 connected to the cord connecting apparatus 1032, and a head 1036 removably attached to the head connecting apparatus 1034. The head connecting apparatus 1034 may comprise a lobster clasp 1035, i.e. a fastener that maintains a closed position via a spring that can be opened with a lever. The lobster clasp 1035 may be operated to open via the lever and removably attach to the head 1036 at an attachment structure 1037 of the head 1036.

Some of the illustrative aspects of the present invention may be advantageous in solving the problems herein described and other problems not discussed which are discoverable by a skilled artisan.

While the above description contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any embodiment, but as exemplifications of the presented embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the various embodiments. While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best or only mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the description of the invention. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. 

That which is claimed is:
 1. A cuffing device comprising: a button hole interfacing section; a cord attached at both ends to the button hole interfacing section, defining a loop; and a cinching device attached to the cord and configured to change a size of the loop by translating along a length of the cord.
 2. The cuffing device of claim 1 wherein the button hole interfacing section comprises: a cord connecting apparatus configured to attach to the cord; a head connecting apparatus configured to attach to the cord connecting apparatus; and a head attached to the head connecting apparatus.
 3. The cuffing device of claim 2 wherein attachment between the head connecting apparatus and the head permits movement of the head.
 4. The cuffing device of claim 3 wherein the head is configured to have a geometry that permits it to pass through a button hole in a first orientation and interface with a shirt sleeve defining the button hole in a second orientation.
 5. The cuffing device of claim 2 wherein the head is detachably attached to the head connecting apparatus.
 6. The cuffing device of claim 2 wherein the head connecting apparatus is configured to be removably attached to the cord connecting apparatus.
 7. The cuffing device of claim 6 wherein the head connecting apparatus comprises a first magnet attached to the cord connecting apparatus and a second magnet attached to the head and configured to be magnetically attracted to and removably attachable to the first magnet.
 8. The cuffing device of claim 6 wherein: the head connecting apparatus comprises a lobster clasp attached to the cord connecting apparatus and configured to removably attach to the head.
 9. The cuffing device of claim 2 wherein the button hole interfacing section further comprises a retaining disk configured to be positionable on a side of a shirt sleeve opposite the head and having a diameter configured to deter the retaining disk from passing through a button hole of the shirt sleeve.
 10. The cuffing device of claim 1 wherein the cinching device comprises: a base section; and a bridge section configured extend around the cord and attach to the base section on opposing sides of the cord, such that a portion of the cord is positioned within a space bounded by the base section and the bridge section.
 11. The cuffing device of claim 1 wherein the cord is configured to have a length sufficient to permit the loop to be temporarily sized to facilitate a button of a shirt to pass therethrough and a diameter configured to permit the loop to be positioned between the button and a sleeve of the shirt.
 12. The cuffing device of claim 1 wherein the length of the cord is within a range from one inch to two inches.
 13. A cuffing device comprising: a button hole interfacing section comprising: a cord connecting apparatus configured to attach to a cord; a head connecting apparatus configured to removably attach to the cord connecting apparatus; and a head attached to the head connecting apparatus; the cord being attached at both ends to the button hole interfacing section, defining a loop; and a cinching device attached to the cord and configured to change a size of the loop by translating along a length of the cord, the cinching device comprising: a base section; and a bridge section configured extend around the cord and attach to the base section on opposing sides of the cord, such that a portion of the cord is positioned within a space bounded by the base section and the bridge section.
 14. The cuffing device of claim 13 wherein the cord is configured to have a length sufficient to permit the loop to be temporarily sized to facilitate a button of a shirt to pass therethrough and a diameter configured to permit the loop to be positioned between the button and a sleeve of the shirt.
 15. The cuffing device of claim 13 wherein the head connecting apparatus comprises a lobster clasp attached to the cord connecting apparatus and configured to removably attach to the head.
 16. The cuffing device of claim 13 wherein the head connecting apparatus comprises a first magnet attached to the cord connecting apparatus and a second magnet attached to the head and configured to be magnetically attracted to and removably attachable to the first magnet.
 17. The cuffing device of claim 13 wherein: the head connecting apparatus comprises a lobster clasp configured to attach to the cord connecting apparatus and removably attach to the head.
 18. The cuffing device of claim 13 wherein the button hole interfacing section further comprises a retaining disk configured to be positionable on a side of a shirt cuff opposite the head and having a diameter configured to deter the retaining disk from passing through a button hole of the shirt cuff.
 19. A cuffing device comprising: a button hole interfacing section comprising: a cord connecting apparatus configured to attach to a cord; a head connecting apparatus comprising a lobster clasp configured to be attached to the cord connecting apparatus; a head configured to be attached to the lobster clasp such that the head is able to move respective to the head connecting apparatus, the head being and configured to have a geometry that permits it to pass through a button hole in a first orientation and interface with a shirt sleeve defining the button hole in a second orientation; and a retaining disk configured to be positionable on a side of the shirt sleeve opposite the head and having a diameter configured to deter the retaining disk from passing through the button hole of the shirt sleeve; the cord being attached at both ends to the button hole interfacing section, defining a loop; and a cinching device attached to the cord and configured to change a size of the loop by translating along a length of the cord.
 20. The cuffing device of claim 19 wherein the cord is configured to have a length sufficient to permit the loop to be temporarily sized to facilitate a button of a shirt to pass therethrough and a diameter configured to permit the loop to be positioned between the button and the shirt sleeve. 